Soil quality and plant yield under dryland and irrigated winter forage crops grazed by sheep or cattle
D. J. Houlbrooke A C , R. J. Paton A , J. D. Morton B and R. P. Littlejohn AA AgResearch, Invermay Agriculture Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand.
B Ballance Agri-Nutrients, PO Box 65, Rolleston, New Zealand.
C Corresponding author. Email: david.houlbrooke@agresearch.co.nz
Australian Journal of Soil Research 47(5) 470-477 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR08228
Submitted: 7 October 2008 Accepted: 20 April 2009 Published: 18 August 2009
Abstract
In New Zealand, the winter grazing of standing forage crops combines high animal stocking densities with soil water and climatic conditions conducive to soil compaction and pugging deformation. The extent of soil damage under winter forage cropping practices and impact of management factors such as stock type and irrigation on soil quality is relatively unknown. A research trial was established, on a Pallic soil type (Aeric Fragiaquept) in the North Otago Rolling Downlands of New Zealand, to compare cattle v. sheep and dryland v. irrigation management. Kale, Swedes, and triticale were direct-drilled in 3 consecutive years and soil physical (macroporosity, bulk density, structural condition score), chemical (total C, total N, C : N ratio), and biological (mineralisable N, mineralisable C, and earth worm mass and numbers) properties were assessed annually post grazing in midwinter. Increased soil compaction was evident following grazing of winter forage crops, with lower macroporosity (P < 0.01) measured at 0–50 mm under cattle grazing compared with sheep grazing for 2 of 3 years and greater bulk density (P < 0.05) measured under cattle grazing for all years. However, there was no affect of stock type on crop yield for all 3 forage crops as a result of the measured differences in soil compaction. There were few differences between treatments or through time in soil chemical or biological properties following 3 years of continuous winter forage cropping as pools of C and N are slow to change under a no-tillage cropping regime and not necessarily measurable over a relatively short time frame.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Grant and Elle Ludemann for the use of their land for the research site, farm manager Duncan Kingan for providing stock and irrigation water for the site and for farm management advice, and Sandy Harper for managing grazing and irrigation events. Also thanked are Sonya Walker, Jane Campbell, Dennis Enright, and Ben Lumsden for field and laboratory work. The New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology is thanked for funding this research through the LUCI programme (Contract C02X0304).
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